The present invention relates to a refrigerating apparatus having a compressor motor, an operating frequency of which can be variably controlled, and an inverter device used in the refrigerating apparatus.
Conventionally, in order to facilitate modification of specification without modifying an inverter basic unit, it has been known from, for example, JP-A-11-41943, that an inverter basic unit and an I/O block unit are separated from each other, wherein the inverter basic unit comprises a first substrate on which a converter for converting an alternating current voltage from an alternating current power source to a direct current, and an inverter being a DC/AC converter are mounted, a second substrate on which a controller including a microcomputer for controlling the inverter is mounted, and a third substrate on which a terminal block, a rush suppressing resistor, and a smoothing capacitor are mounted, and wherein the I/O block unit controls an input/output interface among a microcomputer processing for controlling an inverter control device.
The above conventional art increases freedom of modification of specification but takes no account of application, in particular, to a refrigerating cycle. Therefore, a problem peculiar to the refrigerating cycle, that is, taking into a microcomputer signals from detection sensors for various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerating cycle to perform an inverter control suited to the refrigerating cycle is not taken into consideration, and a demand for miniaturization of a refrigerating apparatus itself is not adequately taken into consideration.
An object of the present invention is to achieve miniaturization of an air conditioner and a refrigerating apparatus such as a refrigerating machine, in particular, miniaturization of the refrigerating apparatus and an inverter device accompanied with miniaturization of an outdoor unit, and to improve reliability in a refrigerating cycle, and to make a refrigerating apparatus more suitable for high degree control and fault diagnosis.
A refrigerating apparatus having a refrigerating cycle provided with a compressor which is driven by an electric motor, an operating frequency of which is variably controlled, according to the present invention comprises: a first substrate on which an active converter, which use an active element to convert an alternating current voltage from an alternating current power source into a direct current, and an inverter for converting the generated direct current into an alternating current to drive the electric motor, the first substrate having a radiation fin closely adhered to a reverse surface to a mounting surface thereof; a second substrate on which a microcomputer for controlling the active converter and the inverter, a current detecting mechanism for detecting an electric current of the electric motor, and a terminal block of the electric motor are mounted; a casing covering sides of the first and second substrates and having a front surface provided with a step permitting the terminal block to be arranged thereon; and a third substrate on which an interface connector, into which signals from detection sensors for various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerating cycle are input, and a photo-coupler for transmitting the input signals to the microcomputer by means of optical signals are mounted; and wherein the terminal block is adapted to the step, the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are layered in this order on a bottom surface of the casing, gel is filled up to a power semiconductor surface of the first substrate, and a resin is filled up to an upper surface of the second substrate from the gel surface.
Further, it is desired in the above refrigerating apparatus that first lead pins connecting the first substrate with the second substrate, and second lead pins connecting the first substrate with the third substrate be provided toward a side of the casing, and the second substrate and the third substrate be connected together by third lead pins provided on the second substrate.
Further, it is desired in the above refrigerating apparatus that the operating frequency be output via the interface connector.
Further, it is desired in the above refrigerating apparatus that at least one of a signal of a discharge gas temperature and a signal of a discharge gas pressure of the compressor be input via the interface connector.
Further, the invention provides a refrigerating apparatus having a refrigerating cycle provided with a compressor, the compressor being driven by an electric motor, an operating frequency of which is variably controlled, the refrigerating apparatus comprising: a first substrate on which an inverter for converting a direct current into an alternating current to drive the electric motor, and having a radiation fin closely adhered to a reverse surface to a mounting surface thereof; an active converter externally mounted to the first substrate to use an active element to convert an alternating voltage from an alternating current power source into a direct current; a second substrate on which a microcomputer for controlling the inverter and the active converter, a current detecting mechanism for detecting an electric current of the electric motor, a terminal block of the electric motor, and an interface connector permitting the microcomputer to output a drive signal to the active converter are mounted; a casing covering sides of the first and second substrates and having a front surface provided with a step permitting the terminal block to be arranged thereon; and a third substrate on which an interface connector, into which signals from detection sensors for various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerating cycle are input, and a photo-coupler for transmitting the input signals to the microcomputer by means of optical signals are mounted; and wherein the terminal block is adapted to the step, the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are layered in this order on a bottom surface of the casing, gel is filled up to a power semiconductor surface of the first substrate, and a resin is filled up to an upper surface of the second substrate from the gel surface.
Further, the invention provides an inverter device for variably controlling an operating frequency of an electric motor, which drives a compressor in a refrigerating cycle, the inverter device comprising: a first substrate on which an active converter, which uses an active element to convert an alternating voltage from an alternating current power source into a direct current, and an inverter for converting the generated direct current into an alternating current to drive the electric motor are mounted, the first substrate having a radiation fin closely adhered to a reverse surface to a mounting surface thereof; a second substrate on which a microcomputer for controlling the active converter and the inverter, a current detecting mechanism for detecting an electric current of the electric motor, and a terminal block of the electric motor are mounted; a casing covering sides of the first and second substrates and having a front surface provided with a step permitting the terminal block to be arranged thereon; and a third substrate on which an interface connector, into which signals from detection sensors for various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerating cycle are input, and a photo-coupler for transmitting the input signals to the microcomputer by means of optical signals are mounted; and wherein the terminal block is adapted to the step, the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are layered in this order on a bottom surface of the casing, gel is filled up to a power semiconductor surface of the first substrate, and a resin is filled up to an upper surface of the second substrate from the gel surface.
Further, it is desired in the above inverter device that at least one of a signal of a discharge gas temperature and a signal of a discharge gas pressure of the compressor be input via the interface connector.
Further, the invention provides an inverter device for variably controlling an operating frequency of an electric motor, which drives a compressor in a refrigerating cycle, the inverter device comprising: a first substrate on which an inverter for converting a direct current into an alternating current to drive the electric motor is mounted, and having a radiation fin closely adhered to a reverse surface to a mounting surface thereof; an active converter externally mounted to the first substrate to use an active element to convert an alternating voltage from an alternating current power source into a direct current; a second substrate on which a microcomputer for controlling the inverter and the active converter, a current detecting mechanism for detecting an electric current of the electric motor, a terminal block of the electric motor, and an interface connector permitting the microcomputer to output a drive signal to the active converter are mounted; a casing covering sides of the first and second substrates and having a front surface provided with a step permitting the terminal block to be arranged thereon; and a third substrate on which an interface connector, into which signals from detection sensors for various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerating cycle are input, and a photo-coupler for transmitting the input signals to the microcomputer by means of optical signals are mounted; and wherein the terminal block is adapted to the step, the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are layered in this order on a bottom surface of the casing, gel is filled up to a power semiconductor surface of the first substrate, and a resin is filled up to an upper surface of the second substrate from the gel surface.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.